About

Over four years ago, I read “Touching the Void” and I was always intrigued by situation hikers find themselves in and the incredible things they do to stay alive.

This blog is about learning from other people’s mistakes, so you don’t make the same ones.

“Better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat”

What happened: A Black Diamond employee, who was part of a team that performed quality tests on Black Diamond equipment, was climbing the last pitch of a climb when a block he was standing on broke loose. Kevin Volkening fell about 50 feet to a ledge where he died. His climbing partners went to the ledge, but were unable to revive him. Kevin was an experienced climber and was wearing a helmet during the accident.

What happened: A woman was at a ski area when she lost her snowboard. The woman went to retrieve it and hiked down beyond warning and danger signs of the cliff. The woman hit an icy patch and began sliding down about 15 meters then fell another 100-150 meters over a cliff. A group of climbers nearby saw the accident happen and called for help. First responders were unable to help her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

What happened: A man was hiking down from the summit of Mt. Whitney heading towards the Whitney Portal trailhead. During the decent, the man somehow fell 200 feet off the trail around the 13,500-foot mark. Three men were with him during the accident, but they were uninjured. A chopper and medic were sent to the scene to recover the man’s body the next day.

What happened: A woman was trad climbing in a canyon near Boulder Canyon when she fell. One of the pieces (not sure if it was a nut or a cam) was yanked from the wall which extended her fall. It is unclear if the woman decked. She suffered injuries to her head, shoulder and arm, but never lost consciousness during the incident.

Rescuers arrived and transported the woman to a hospital where she is recovering.

What happened: Three mountaineers were hiking through the Emmons Glacier on Mt. Rainier when they punched throw the snow into a crevasse. All three men fell about 50 feet. Other climbers in the area spotted the fallen men and called for help.

A helicopter was sent and the men were pulled from the crevasse. The two 31-year-olds are in serious condition at a local hospital. The third climber is in a separate hospital, but his condition is unknown.

Recent rain hit the mountain and caused icy condition on the surface. It is unclear if the rain may have weakened snow bridges on the mountain.

What happened: A man was skiing (presumable alone) when he fell and suffered multiple compound fractures to his lower legs. Unable to summon help, the man lay in the snow for 17 hours. While the man was waiting for help, he repeated a set of four exercises to stay awake and warm. A search and rescue volunteer eventually spotted the man waving his poles and a rescue ensued. Kravet is a man’s man. When asked what his pain level was on a scale of 1 to 10, the said a 3.

What happened: A girl was hiking in the Devil’s Ice Box cave and slipped on some leaves. She fell feet first 25-30 feet into the cave and suffered cuts, bruises and a head injury. She was slipping in and out of consciousness while rescuers were on their way. A chopper was brought in to fly her to the closest hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

What happened: A man was hiking around the 10,000-foot mark of Mt. Hood when a storm formed above him. He was stranded and became lost on the mountain. When the storm turned into a complete whiteout, the man did two things, he called 911 for help, then he posted his status on Facebook.

He posted a screenshot to his Facebook along with his GPS coordinates. Rescuers used the Facebook info to find the man. He was escorted the mountain in good spirits.

Who: Erwin Wildhaber, mechanic for the Scott-Swisspower Mountain Bike Team

Where: Chopfenberg mountain, Switzerland

His mistake: He slipped

What happened: A man and two of his friends were hiking on a steep and grassy slope on Chopfenberg mountain. During the hike, the lead man slipped and tumbled down, taking out his two friends. Two of the men tumbled roughly 200 meters before they stopped. The third man continued tumbling and fell over a ledge and died. The two surviving hikers suffered injuries including a broken foot and multiple other fractures.